Three needle bind off

How-to Questions
1

Help please. I cannot work out how to use the three needle bind off in this setting. Shoulder shaping 15 stitches. Pattern says cast of 7 stitches, pattern to end. Work 1 row. Cast off remaining stitches.
After I have cast of 7 stitches using three needle bind off do I work each side individually for the rest of that row and the next and then come together for three needle bind off at row three. Or, is three needle bind worked just as one row of shaping, ie casting all stitches off in one row.
Your help is much appreciated. Thank you.

2

Can you link to your pattern or give its name and where you found it?

I’ve only known of 3-needle BO being used to BO all the stitches, not to do some, continue shaping and then do more. Others will know more about it I’m sure.

3

The problem is that you get a hole where the different levels meet on the slope of the shoulder when you use a three needle bind off. Even if you hold the stitches for each step and then bind them off at once, the hole at the join still needs to be dealt with. You can use a sloped bind off to give yourself a neater seam to sew but that’s not a 3-needle bind off.

4

You have to approach it differently. You start at the other end of where you would bind off and work the row until 7 stitches are left (the 7 that you would have bound off). Turn and work those stitches again.

All the stitches are now live, and you work the 3-needle bind-off with those.

5

Thanks for your reply, I did wonder if the 3 needle bind off was only used in that situation. I’ll look into the sloping bind off as salmonmac has noted in her reply to me. Thanks again.

6

Thanks very much for answering my query. I did wonder whether 3 needle bind off was for use when binding off all stitches. I will look into sloping bind off as mentioned in another answer. Thanks again, much appreciated.

7

Thanks very much for your reply GrumpyGramma. I did wonder whether 3 needle bind off was used when bo all stitches. I will look into sloping bind off as mentioned by Salmonmac. Thanks again, much appreciated.

8

Thanks Salmonmac for your reply. I will look into sloping bo, thank you for the link. Your help is much appreciated.

9

Thanks for your reply Ingrid. Can you please clarify for me - I would have started on a knit row, but now that I go to the other end am I starting on the purl row thus to get to the original bo 7? Your help is much appreciated. Thanks very much.

10

Yes, start with the purl side and work until there are 7 left.

If you had a more graduated bind-off, with several steps, you could do the same thing. For example, if you had to bind off 5, 5, and 8, you’d work until there were 5 left and work back, then work until there were 10 left, etc.

11

Thanks so much for getting back Ingrid. I have the shoulder shaping worked out now and I really appreciate your help. Thanks again.